The party described itself as Canada’s “fourth party” in the 1980s, but it has since been displaced by new parties such as the Bloc Québécois and the Green Party of Canada. The party declined when the Reform Party of Canada was formed, which attracted many libertarians who saw it as a better vehicle to put forward their philosophy. Many libertarians were also attracted to provincial Progressive Conservative parties that moved to the right during the 1990s in Ontario under Mike Harris, and in Alberta under Ralph Klein.
The decline in the party’s membership and resources resulted in Elections Canada removing their status as a registered party immediately before the 1997 federal election when the party failed to run the minimum fifty candidates needed to maintain its registration.
The party successfully re-registered with Elections Canada on June 2, 2004, in time for the 2004 election. Its eight candidates won 1,964 votes.
Jean-Serge Brisson has formally led the party since May 22, 2000.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.